Universal beverage container cover

ABSTRACT

A universal cover for covering all types of beverage containers and an associated carrying case is disclosed. When placed over any beverage container, the universal cover disclosed uses decorative weights made with acrylic plastic gems, crystals or metal, to keep the cover secured in place as well as for keeping it well stretched and snugly placed over the rim of beverage container. The universal cover also includes a central opening for inserting a straw or a sipping device there-through. The universal beverage cover offers the functionality of creating a cover for containers where typically no lid or cover typically exists as is the case for non-portable beverage containers such as wine glasses, beer or juice mugs, and other crystal-ware used at a restaurant, banquet hall, or another indoor setting. The universal cover disclosed provides a level of protection against pathogens and other contaminants while maintaining the necessary decor and formality of the setting. Embodiments of the invention provide the additional functionality of maintaining beverage temperature for longer periods. The universal cover can be made with fabrics, or faux leather or vinyl type fabric for based on the degree of insulation or durability desired.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application claims the benefits of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 62/637,408, filed on Mar. 2, 2018, by the present inventors andis incorporated herewith by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to covers for drinking containers forbeverages and more particularly a cover that can be universally used ona variety of beverage containers having different sizes and brim shapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most beverage containers come with their unique covers adapted to fitthe container. Generally, plastic snaps are used for all types of paperor plastic cups. Each type of container comes with a its characteristiccover. Further, most of applications of beverage covers are used inconjunction with beverage containers that are meant for outdoor or usagerelated to travel. What is needed is a universal type cover that is notdepend on the type of beverage container.

Often disposable cups use disposable plastic lids designed for use inconnection with paper or plastic containers of various types such asbeverage cups. Many such closures have been provided by the prior artwith a wide variety of techniques for effecting engagement of the lidwith the container.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the prior art, there remains a needfor an apparatus that can serve as a cover for non-disposable beveragecontainers, such as beer mugs, wine glasses, soda cups, for which acomplementary cover or a lid is generally not provided. Often there is aneed for ladies to cover their drinks as they are slowly nursed so as tokeep them free of undesirable contaminants and prevent miscreants fromslipping in undesirable chemicals or sedatives into their drinks.

In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in drug induced date-rapes.If a person has had too much to drink or is on drugs they can notconsent to sex and having sex with them is legally rape. There arecertain date rape drugs that render the victim unconscious and limitmemory. Rohypnol, GHB, ActiveSeX, Roofies, Ruffles, Roche, R-2, Rib andRope are all names describing a date rape drug. These drugs are odorlessand tasteless and difficult to detect when in drinks or mixed with otherdrugs. Date rape is the most common form of rape (78%) with 1 in 4 girlsexpected to fall victim to rape or attempted rape before they reach 25.Although girls are more often victims of rape, guys are not safe—theycan be raped too.

What is needed is a barrier or a cover that prevents the drink fromgetting compromised as the victim looks away, is distracted, or takes aphone call. Furthermore, what is needed is that cover be decorative,having an ostentatious appeal, and further may have an inscription, or apithy adage, famous quote, or the mascot of sports team, transcribed onthe cover. What is needed is a type of beverage cover that can be easilycarried in a ladies' purse and used readily and for covering any type ofbeverage container so that no matter the setting the universal cover canbe pulled out and used to cover the beverage container. What is neededis a beverage cover that allows for the drink to be sipped with a strawwithout the need for removing the cover.

The design of the universal beverage cover functional and decorative andas such appealing to taste of women. Furthermore, the beverage cover mayinclude team logos, inspirational quotes, or other transcriptions thatfurther enhance their utility and appeal. Additional details are putforth in the next sections.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objects of the Invention

It is an object of this invention to provide a universal cover that canbe used to cover all types of beverage containers regardless of theirshapes and size. The invention is particularly targeted fornon-disposable beverage containers, such as beer mugs and wine and juiceglasses, or soda cups used inside a restaurant or a bar. Still otherobjects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and willin part be apparent from the specification and drawings.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed to embodiments of the universalbeverage cover shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 10, with some embodiments ofthe universal beverage cover shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 5 and theembodiments of the carrying pouch shown in FIG. 6 through FIG. 8.Another embodiment for weights are stretchable bands that keep the coverover the beverage container as illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. Asdescribed below, the universal beverage cover and the carrying pouch areintegral complements as the carrying pouch prevents the beads anddecorative weights from entangling with the other contents in the purseor bag where the universal cover is carried.

By the present invention, a beverage container cover is disclosed andtaught whereby the brim of the container is covered by universal coverprovided that is held in place by a multiplicity of decorative weightsthat keep it stretched so as to prevent the cover from falling into thecontainer. Moreover, the weights also help create a tight seal with thebrim of the container so as to help maintain the temperature of thebeverage in the container by preventing heat exchange throughconvection. The type of material utilized for making the containerfurther prevents other types of heat exchange through radiation orconduction and therefore maintains the beverage at a desired temperaturefor longer periods of time. An embodiment of the invention encloses thematerial in close contact with the container surface through stretchablebands and maintains temperature by creating an insulation layer.

Preferably the shape of the universal cover component is a square sinceit allows for the decorative weights to be tied to the four corners of asquare. However, other shapes are possible as well. Covers can take theshape of a star, a circle, pentagon, a hexagon, or even an arbitrarilyshaped mascot. Hooks are provided along the periphery of the cover wherethe stabilizing weights are detachably or permanently attached. Theseweights are distributed approximately uniformly along the boundary ofthe cover so that when the cover is placed on the beverage container thecover will not get pulled to a particular side.

Another object of the invention is to allow the beverage to be sippedwithout the need to remove the cover. Therefore a central opening isprovided in the cover wherein a straw or another sipping device may beinserted to facilitate the consumption of the beverage without the needto remove the cover. The opening can further include gripping tabs toprevent the straw from moving around in the opening. It is preferablethat the straw grippers not be too tight since inserting the straw wouldotherwise cause the stabilizing weights to move and the cover to getundulated.

The universal beverage cover can also include inscriptions includingtext and graphical logos, or other pithy sayings which can serve as aconversation starters or help in marketing a product or an idea. It isan object of the invention to enable dangling weights to also be in theshape of a mascot or similar shapes used for conveying a marketingtheme, such as helmet bearing a logo of a sports team. Hanging weightsdesign to be detachable and decorative, or designed to match the decorof an occasion or dress. Logos and inscriptions may also be placed uponthe cover itself. Further, the shape of the cover can be made torepresent an article, a symbol or a trademark.

The universality of the beverage cover and its decorative and marketingaspects makes it a unique object that individuals may own and carry withthem to benefit from the protection of the beverage as well as tocommunicate their position or endorsement. Therefore, a carrying case isintegral to the invention since there are somewhat delicate parts andfasteners involved in its construction that would have a tendency ofgetting entangled when the universal beverage cover is placed in a bagor a purse for example. The carrying pouch matches with the decorativeaspects of the beverage cover and includes a drawstring type closingmechanism with the string running through the neck of the pouch.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relationof one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and theapparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elementsand arrangement of parts that are adapted to affect such steps, all isexemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of theinvention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention where the universal cover isused over a mug or a cup;

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention where the universal cover isused over a glass;

FIG. 3 shows the top view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the top view of an embodiment of the invention where theStraw Hole includes a staw gripper, and the Cover includes marketinglogos;

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention where the universal cover isused over a wine glass where the supporting weights are decorative;

FIG. 6 shows a bag or pouch case adapted to conveniently carry theinvention in a ladies purse or handbag;

FIG. 7 shows the conformation of the bag or the pouch case where itsdrawstring has been engaged to close the opening and secure the contentsinside;

FIG. 8 shows a view of an embodiment of the invention where theUniversal Container Cover is enclosed in its see-through bag or pouchcase utilizing a drawstring;

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the invention where stretchable bands areused for securing the Cover on to a beverage container; and

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention wherethe stretchable bands are in their relaxed non-engaged state.

PARTS LIST

-   Cover 20-   Hanger Hoop 22-   Weight 24-   Decorative Weight 28-   Straw Hole 30-   Straw Gripper 32-   Logo or Decorative Design 40-   Carry Pouch 50-   Draw String 52-   Universal Container Cover 100

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The arrangement in FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention where theuniversal cover is used over a mug or a cup. As illustrated in FIG. 1the components of Universal Container Cover 100 are shown. Theembodiment shows an exemplary arrangement with Cover 20 placed over amug. The Cover 20 is substantially shaped like a square in theembodiment shown. The four corners of the Cover 20 include a Hanger Hoop22, wherein the Hanger Hoop 22 is adapted to fixedly attach to adangling Weight 24. The purpose of the Weight 24 to stabilize the coverover the mouth of the beverage container so that once the Cover 20 isplaced over the beverage container, it does not easily move. The Cover20 substantially in its center includes a Straw Hole 30 with a ringenforcement that enables a straw to be inserted therethrough enablingthe consumption of the beverage stored in the container withoutrequiring the Cover 20 to be removed.

The illustration in FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention wherethe universal cover is used over a glass. In FIG. 2 the UniversalContainer Cover 100 is used for covering a beverage glass. Theembodiment illustrates the versatility and universality UniversalContainer Cover 100 for, unlike commonly used plastic and other types oflids, the Cover 20 offers flexibility in its ability for use with anytype of container irrespective of its size, height, and shape. TheUniversal Container Cover 100 provides for a plurality of sizes andshape choices of the Cover 20 so as to enable its use on practically anysize of container openings. It will be appreciated by a skilled artisanthat the Weight 24 attached to Hanger Hoop 22 in an embodiment withlarger sized Cover 20 can be increased, for example, to offer addedstability. From a functional standpoint, the plurality of Weights 24prevent the Cover 20 from shifting when a straw is inserted into StrawHole 30 and potentially moves laterally by the act of its being used forsipping beverage stored in the covered container. An embodiment of theinvention includes detachable Weights 24.

The illustration in FIG. 3 shows the top view of an embodiment of theinvention. In FIG. 3 the substantially rectangular of the Cover 20 hasbeen illustrated. However, this shape is used for illustration purposesonly. An embodiment of the invention uses a Cover 20 that is circular,or shaped like a star, or having another non-descriptive arbitraryshape. The embodiments of the Cover 20 include a plurality of HangerHoops 22 that are regularly spaced around the periphery of the cover.The plurality of Hanger Hoops 22 are the anchor points to which theplurality of Weights 24 are attached. A skilled artisan will appreciatethat a symmetrical placement of the plurality of Weights 24 will enablea counterbalancing of force and prevent the Cover 20 from getting pulledto one side or another. Furthermore, the plurality of Weights 24generate sufficient lateral tensile forces that keep the Cover 20sufficiently stretched and allows for easy access to the beveragethrough the Straw Hole 30.

The illustration in FIG. 4 shows the top view of an embodiment of theinvention where the Straw Hole includes a staw gripper, and the Coverincludes marketing logos. The embodiment shows that insignia and lettersor other marks may be transcribed on the Cover 20 as Logo or DecorativeDesign 40. The Universal Container Cover 100 in this manner would thusbe associated with a group, a university, an idea, a theme, or a club orthe like. The embodiment shown also illustrates the use of a StrawGripper 32 in the Straw Hole 30 to further secure the straw. It will beappreciated by a skilled artisan that generally the inclusion of a StrawGripper 32 will need to such that forces generated by putting the strawwill need to counterbalanced by plurality of Weights 24 that getattached to the plurality of Hanger Hoops 22.

The illustration in FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention wherethe universal cover is used over a wine glass where the supportingweights are decorative. The embodiment shown uses a Decorative Weight28. Essentially, this embodiment illustrates that the cover design canbe both functional and decorative. Similar to the previous embodiments,a plurality of Decorative Weights 28 are attached to a plurality ofHanger Hoops 22 and provide stability to the Cover 20 and also maintainthe Cover 20 in a stretched conformation thereby facilitating theinsertion of a drinking straw into the Straw Hole 30. The plurality ofDecorative Weights 28 may be detachably attached to the plurality ofHanger Hoops 22 so as to facilitate changing the Decorative Weights 28for creating a novel impression without the need to carry a multitude ofCovers 20.

FIG. 6 shows a bag or pouch case adapted to conveniently carry theinvention in a ladies purse or handbag. FIG. 7 shows the conformation ofthe bag or the pouch case where its drawstring has been engaged to closethe opening and secure the contents inside. Illustrated here is anembodiment for a Carry Pouch 50 utilized for carrying UniversalContainer Cover 100. Since the apparatus requires that cover and theaccompanying weights be properly secured, a closing mechanism DrawString 52 is included therein. Once the string is pulled the mouth ofthe Carry Pouch 50 closes and secures the contents inside. FIG. 8 showsa view of an embodiment of the invention where the Universal ContainerCover is enclosed in its see-through bag or pouch case utilizing adrawstring.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 through FIG. 8, a pouch adapted to accommodatea universal beverage cover of an upper surface bounded by upper surfaceedges wherein the upper surface edges contains an upper edge opening; alower surface bounded by lower surface edges wherein the lower surfaceedges contains an lower edge opening; and wherein the upper surface andthe lower surface are fixedly attached to each other along the uppersurface edges and the lower surface edges except no attachment existsbetween the upper surface and the lower surface along the upper edgeopening and the lower edge opening. The pouch further comprising anupper surface conduit included within the upper surface; a lower surfaceconduit included within the lower surface; and a drawstring passingthrough the upper surface conduit and through the lower surface conduit.

The arrangement in FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the invention wherestretchable bands are used for securing the Cover on to a beveragecontainer. As illustrated in FIG. 9 the components of UniversalContainer Cover 100 are shown where the weights are replaced byplurality of Bands 26 that are stretchable and go across and around thebottom of the container. The embodiment shows an arrangement with Cover20 placed over a mug with the four corners of the Cover 20 that eachinclude Hanger Hoop 22 with a pair of Hanger Hoops 22 connected by astretchable Band 26. The embodiment shown helps form a tighter sealbetween the brim of the beverage container and Cover 20 such as may beneeded for transporting a beverage container in a moving vehicle orbeing used outdoors. An embodiment of the invention causes the hangingweights to snap on to each other to create to create a long stretchableband, further preventing heat loss by maintaining a close contact of theCover 20 to the outer surface of the container thereby keeping thecontainer insulated. FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an embodimentof the invention where the stretchable bands are in their relaxednon-engaged state.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,because certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method andin the construction(s) set forth without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall there between.

What is claimed:
 1. A universal cover for a container comprising: a covering component having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a boundary wherein the lower surface is adapted for placement over a mouth of the container, and the upper and the lower surface connect to each other at the boundary; a plurality of symmetrically placed hoops along the boundary such that a distance measured along the boundary between any hoop and its neighbors is substantially equal; a plurality of weight components with each weight component having a weight measure wherein the weight measure for each of the plurality of weights is substantially equal, where each of the weight component further includes a hook adapted for insertion into the any of the plurality of hoops.
 2. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component has a shape where the shape is that of a square having four vertexes and four hoops where placement of each of the hoops coincides with each of the vertex.
 3. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component has a shape selected from a group consisting of a star, a circle, pentagon, a hexagon, or an arbitrarily shaped mascot.
 4. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the plurality of weights are detachably attached to the plurality of hoops.
 5. A universal cover of claim 1 further comprising a message, including but not limited to a text or an image, inscribed on the upper surface of the covering component.
 6. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component includes an opening adapted to allow an insertion of a straw or another sipping device to pass therethrough.
 7. A universal cover of claim 6 wherein the opening further includes gripping tabs adapted to prevent the straw or another sipping device from moving around in the opening.
 8. A universal cover of claim 1 where the covering component is selected from a group consisting of fabric, faux leather, and vinyl.
 9. A universal cover of claim 1 where the plurality of weight components are made with plastic gem weights, crystal beads and metallic beads.
 10. A universal cover of claim 9 where the plurality of weight components use hard acrylic type plastic beads.
 11. A universal cover of claim 9 where the plurality of weight components are replaced by stretchable bands.
 12. A pouch adapted to accommodate a universal beverage cover of claim 1 comprising an upper surface bounded by upper surface edges wherein the upper surface edges contains an upper edge opening; a lower surface bounded by lower surface edges wherein the lower surface edges contains an lower edge opening; and wherein the upper surface and the lower surface are fixedly attached to each other along the upper surface edges and the lower surface edges except no attachment exists between the upper surface and the lower surface along the upper edge opening and the lower edge opening.
 13. A pouch of claim 12 further comprising an upper surface conduit included within the upper surface; a lower surface conduit included within the lower surface; and a drawstring passing through the upper surface conduit and through the lower surface conduit. 